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Annual Report of Lands
Under Control of the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service
as of September 30, 2006
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
On the cover:
Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area
(A unit of the National Wildlife Refuge
System)
The Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Area in north-central Montana resulted
from an inclusive planning process
involving many partners who contributed
substantial amounts of time and effort to
create an approach that will both conserve
wildlife habitat and help preserve rural
economies along the Front.
Large working ranches play a major
role in supporting and protecting the
biological values of the Front; long-established
ranching families have passed
land down through many generations,
thereby limiting subdivision and
promoting conservation of vital fish and
wildlife habitat. The Front will provide
a significant, intact block of such habitat
between existing protected areas,
including State Wildlife Management
Areas, The Nature Conservancy’s Pine
Butte Swamp Preserve, and the Boone
& Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt
Memorial Ranch.
The Service is utilizing a conservation
easement program to conserve wildlife
habitat on private land within the 561,700-
acre boundary of the Front. Conservation
easements are a proven, effective, and
non-regulatory means to conserve high
quality wildlife habitat and to maintain
historic ranching heritage. The Service
plans to purchase perpetual conservation
easements from willing sellers on 170,000
acres of private land between Birch Creek
and the South Fork of the Dearborn
River. Funding for the easement program
will come from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, which is subject to
the annual Congressional appropriations
process.
Private lands along the Front include
important riparian corridors, wetland
complexes, and upland habitat for grizzly
bears, trumpeter swans, raptors, and
other migratory birds. In fact, the Front
is home to nearly every wildlife species
described by Lewis and Clark in 1806,
except free-ranging bison. Many of
these species occur in relatively stable or
increasing numbers.
Cover Photo Courtesy of:
Carl Heilman II
(http://www.carlheilman.com) has been
photographing the American Landscape
for over 30 years; working to meld his
passion for wildness into his landscape
and panoramic photography.
View of the refuge landscape
Annual Report of Lands Under Control
Of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
As of September 30, 2006
Message from the Director ......................................................................................................1
Key to Real Property Numbers .....................................................................................................2
Map of National Fish and Wildlife Management Areas ..............................................................4
Map of Waterfowl Productions Areas..........................................................................................6
Significant Land Acquisition Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2006 ...................................7
Tables
1 Summary by Categories ......................................................................................................9
2 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions .................................10
2A FY 2006 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions .................12
3 National Wildlife Refuges .................................................................................................13
4 Waterfowl Production Areas .............................................................................................29
5 Coordination Areas ............................................................................................................36
6 Administrative Sites ...........................................................................................................38
7 National Fish Hatcheries ..................................................................................................40
8 Wilderness Areas in National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries........44
9 Migratory Waterfowl Refuges on Federal Water Resource Projects ..........................47
Notes ..........................................................................................................................................49
Compiled by: Division of Realty
We’ve come a long way since 1903, when
the National Wildlife Refuge System began
when one man, Paul Kroegel––equipped
with a badge, a gun, a boat, and lots of
determination––watched over Florida’s
Pelican Island. The once-idealistic notion
that we should set aside and protect land
for intrinsically valuable wildlife is now a
reality. Today, our 547 refuges encompass
more than 96 million acres that support
a rich variety of wildlife, including more
than 280 endangered or threatened
species. National wildlife refuges––as
well as waterfowl production areas and
coordination areas––are consistent
and visible reflections of the federal
government’s pledge to its citizens that
there will always be lands and waters
where plants and animals can thrive.
With more than 71 percent of the land
in the United States held in private
ownership, the well-being and continued
diversity of America’s wildlife depends on
the active involvement of conservation-minded
private citizens. Conservation
is not a spectator sport. It takes the
combined commitment of federal and state
agencies, conservation organizations, local
communities, and many other stakeholders
to ensure that our natural resources will
be preserved and protected today and for
generations to come.
Our partners continued to step forward
in Fiscal Year 2006. Consider the largest
single land purchase by the Service in
the fiscal year––2,833 acres acquired for
$3.4 million for the San Bernard National
Wildlife Refuge in a rapidly developing
area south of Houston. This crucial addition
was made possible with the cooperation of
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Some 6,270 acres of seasonally flooded
bottomland in one of the most important
and vulnerable wetland areas of the
Mississippi River Delta were made a
part of the Catahoula National Wildlife
Refuge in Louisiana, through a partnership
composed of Wal-Mart’s “Acres for
America” program, The Conservation
Fund, American Electric Power, the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
and the Service. These lands will play an
important role in the Service’s carbon
sequestration efforts.
In Minnesota, the Service acquired 1,241
acres of conservation easements and 16
acres in fee ownership at the Northern
Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.
Funding from the Legislative Committee
for Minnesota Resources has helped clear
the way for the acquisition of several more
key fee and easement tracts. Partners such
as the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation
and The Nature Conservancy have also
supported our acquisition and protection
efforts in the state.
In Montana, the Service established the
Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Area by purchasing the first conservation
easement, covering 4,177 acres worth
$1,535,000. The Service contributed $1
million, The Nature Conservancy donated
$100,000, and the landowner contributed
the remaining $435,000 in value. TNC’s
Montana Chapter was awarded the
Service’s annual National Land Protection
Award for significant contributions to land-protection
partnerships with the Service.
National wildlife refuges are places where
high-quality, safe, and enjoyable wildlife-dependent
recreation connects visitors
to their natural resource heritage. More
than 39 million visitors each year find the
mountains, valleys, deserts, meadows and
wetlands of national wildlife refuges to be
some of the most scenic places in America.
As our Nation becomes more urbanized
and Americans become more disassociated
from our outdoor heritage, national wildlife
refuges are vital links with nature for most
American families. There is a national
wildlife refuge within 50 miles of most
major cities, giving families a close-to-home
place to see firsthand how important
natural resource conservation is in our
daily lives.
National wildlife refuges are places of
solitude and serenity amid the noise and
bustle of urban and suburban life. They
are places where a youngster can learn to
cast a fishing line or recognize a bird they
have just come to know. They are places
where families can reinforce their own
relationships, one generation passing to the
next recollections of days spent listening to
a bullfrog or watching butterflies pollinate
flower after flower.
National wildlife refuges do more than
welcome those who want to hunt, fish,
or just watch wildlife. They also teach
Americans to become conservation
constituents by fostering understanding
of the central role of wildlife and wildlife
habitat in our daily lives and our nation’s
traditions.
For all the dedication of our hard-working
staff professionals, we could neither
operate nor maintain our magnificent
habitats without the assistance of
volunteers. During Fiscal Year 2006, close
to 34,000 volunteers donated more than
1.3 million hours to the Service on behalf
of wildlife conservation. Those hours
represent the equivalent of more than
$23 million. Our volunteers are not shy
about getting their hands dirty; the largest
number of volunteer hours––more than
437,000––were invested in wildlife and
habitat work. In addition, more than 200
nonprofit Refuge Friends organizations
bring a special dimension of citizen
service to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Their support is critical to fulfilling our
conservation mission.
In this era of intense development, it is
ever more important that we continue
to protect critical habitat to ensure the
health of the nation’s fish, wildlife, and
plant resources. In support of this mission,
Service Realty Offices completed 473
transactions in Fiscal Year 2006.
In community after community, national
wildlife refuges give people a firsthand
chance to appreciate fish and wildlife
ecology and understand their role in the
environment. The challenge today is to
engage all segments of the American public
in a dialogue about the contributions of
wildlife to a healthy human environment.
All of us can take great pride in our part in
those efforts.
Director
Message from the Director
Oxford Slough WPA
Northwest
Montana
Benton Lake
Bowdoin
Charles M. Russell
Northeast
Montana
Crosby
Lostwood
J. Clark
Salyer
Devils Lake
Valley
City
Detroit
Lakes
Tamarac
Litchfield
Long
Lake
Audubon
Arrowwood
Chase Lake Prairie Project
Audubon
Kulm
Sand Lake
Lacreek Huron
Lake Andes
Madison
Waubay
Tewaukon Fergus
Falls
Morris
Big Stone
Windom
Iowa
Iowa
Minnesota
Valley
Litchfield
St.
Croix
Leopold
Rainwater Basin
Michigan
Carlton
Pond WPA
Wetland Management Districts are
comprised of counties in which the
Service has acquired or is leasing
any wetland or pothole area and is
managing them as a Waterfowl
Production Area (WPA).
Montana
Idaho
Iowa
Colorado
Wyoming
Kansas
Minnesota
Illinois Ohio
Nebraska
Missouri
South Dakota
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan
Maine
115°0'0"W
115°0'0"W
110°0'0"W
110°0'0"W
105°0'0"W
105°0'0"W
100°0'0"W
100°0'0"W
95°0'0"W
95°0'0"W
90°0'0"W
90°0'0"W
85°0'0"W
85°0'0"W
80°0'0"W
80°0'0"W
35°0'0"N 35°0'0"N
40°0'0"N 40°0'0"N
45°0'0"N 45°0'0"N
50°0'0"N 50°0'0"N
55°0'0"N 55°0'0"N
Wetland Management Districts of the National Wildlife Refuge System
PRODUCED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
LAND STATUS CURRENT TO: 9/30/2006
BASEMAP: ESRI
DATUM: WGS 1984
MAP NAME: WMDs2006 0 220 440 880
Kilometers
Waterfowl Production Area Counties
0 190 380 760
Miles
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
WGS 1984
70°0'0"W
70°0'0"W
45°0'0"N 45°0'0"N
Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
acquired fee title or other interest in
more than 116,000 acres of land in Fiscal
Year 2006. The Service also added two
new units to the National Wildlife Refuge
System, Neches River National Wildlife
Refuge in Texas and Rocky Mountain
Front Conservation Area in Montana,
increasing the total number of national
wildlife refuges from 545 to 547.
Pacific Region
On June 15, 2006, President George W.
Bush issued Presidential Proclamation
8031 establishing the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands Marine National
Monument, a 1,200-mile stretch of
spectacular coral islands, seamounts,
banks, and shoals. The 140,000-acre
Monument encompasses both the
Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife
Refuge and the Midway Atoll National
Wildlife Refuge, both of which provide
permanent protection and conservation
of habitat for the endangered Hawaiian
monk seal, the threatened Hawaiian
green sea turtle, and other rare marine
species. The area is also home to millions
of nesting seabirds. The Fish and Wildlife
Service co-manages the Monument with
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and has sole responsibility
for management of the refuges.
Southwest Region
A 3,082.04 acre tract at the San Bernard
National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
was the largest addition to the National
Wildlife Refuge System in FY 2006. The
Service purchased 2,832.66 acres, and
acquired 249.74 acres by donation, an
accomplishment that resulted from the
close cooperation and partnership with the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The refuge is a productive and valuable
wetland complex that provides wintering,
migration, and resident habitat for
waterfowl, wading birds, neo-tropical
migratory birds, and other wetland-dependent
species, in a rapidly developing
area south of Houston.
Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region
At the Northern Tallgrass Prairie
National Wildlife Refuge, the Service
acquired 1,241.07 acres of habitat
easements and 16.13 acres of fee
ownership, bringing the total number of
acres owned to 4,071.59. The Legislative
Committee for Minnesota Resources
helped to facilitate the acquisition of
several key fee and easement tracts.
Partners such as the Brandenburg
Prairie Foundation and The Nature
Conservancy also assisted the Service
in its acquisition and protection efforts.
The Service acquires land in 85 counties
in western Minnesota and northwestern
Iowa for the refuge, and plans to acquire
approximately 77,000 additional fee and
easement acres from willing sellers.
In addition, the Service is working
with private landowners to develop
stewardship agreements and is also
providing incentives and management
assistance for preservation of the prairie
landscape to all interested owners. The
prairie preservation and restoration
project not only protects the prairie
ecosystem but also benefits grassland
birds as well.
The American Land Conservancy (ALC)
contributed 658.97 acres of key habitat for
a wide range of migratory bird species,
as part of the Rockwood Island Donation,
to the Middle Mississippi River National
Wildlife Refuge. ALC also constructed
and donated a headquarters building for
the refuge. The lands at this refuge are
unique, having been acquired in response
to the great flood of 1993 and lying within
the uncontrolled portion of the Middle
Mississippi River below the confluence
with the Missouri River. River levels in
this “open river” section of the Mississippi
are not regulated by the lock and dam
system, and water levels may fluctuate
greatly; there is frequent flooding on the
refuge.
The Sauk County Waterfowl
Production Area was established with a
single purchase of 210.88 acres. Located
in south-central Wisconsin, the Waterfowl
Production Area is part of a larger
cooperative conservation project called
Fairfield Marsh Conservation Project.
The Service partnered with a community-based
group of local, State, and Federal
agencies, special interest groups, and
landowners that call themselves FACT
(Farming and Conservation Together),
to provide conservation and restoration
alternatives to landowners within the
project area.
Southeast Region
We added 6,723 acres of seasonally-flooded
bottomland in one of the most
important and vulnerable wetland areas
of the Mississippi River Delta were to the
Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge
in east central Louisiana through the
efforts of a partnership comprised of Wal-
Mart’s “Acres for America” program, The
Conservation Fund, American Electric
Power, the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, and the Service. The adjacent
Catahoula Lake is one of only 22 wetland
sites in the United States recognized by
the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of
International Importance. This acquisition
will help secure the future of the refuge
and support the on-going objective of
providing habitat for native and migratory
waterfowl and other wildlife, including the
more than 175 wetland-dependent bird
species.
In southeastern Georgia, the Service
accepted The Conservation Fund’s
donation of approximately 6,782 acres that
we added to the Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge. The property had been
part of a 16,000-acre tract purchased in
1994 by the DuPont Corporation and was
initially proposed to be strip-mined for
titanium oxide deposits. Following years
of negotiations with local officials and
interest groups, a “no-mining” option
was selected; DuPont agreed to retire
without compensation the mineral rights
associated with the tract. DuPont, through
its Land Legacy Program, then donated
the property to The Conservation Fund
(TCF), and TCF, in turn, donated 6,782
acres to the Service for the refuge. The
upland pine habitat on the property will
support threatened and endangered
species such as the red-cockaded
woodpecker and the eastern indigo snake.
Significant Land Acquisition
Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2006
Working with the Trust for Public Land,
the Service acquired another 1,875 acres
in a multi-year land acquisition/carbon
sequestration project at Tensas River
National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.
Prior to this acquisition, the refuge
consisted of two noncontiguous forested
units totaling approximately 65,000
acres separated by agricultural land.
Completion of this project and restoration
of the native bottomland hardwood
forest will reconnect the refuge units,
thereby increasing the size and contiguity
of forested refuge lands that provide
habitat for a variety of species including
the threatened Louisiana black bear. In
addition to TPL, partners on this project
have included Entergy Services, Inc., The
Detroit Edison Company, and The Nature
Conservancy.
This year the Service acquired 615
acres from the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF),
for the Black Bayou Lake National
Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. Prior to
this acquisition, the Service managed the
property as part of the Refuge under a
lease with LDWF. Established in 1997
through a unique partnership with the
city of Monroe, the Refuge consists
of pristine wetlands associated with a
2,000-acre shallow, cypress-studded lake,
riparian areas, and reforested cropland.
The lake and adjacent wetlands are
vital wintering habitat for migratory
waterfowl, primarily mallard, pintail,
redhead, canvasback, and scaup. The
extensive stands of buttonbush, cypress,
and tupelo trees provide ideal breeding
and brood-rearing habitat for resident
wood duck. Acquisition of the LDWF
property almost completes the Service’s
acquisition at this refuge, with only three
private ownerships remaining within the
refuge boundary.
Northeast Region
The Service acquired the last remaining
privately owned inholding within the
boundary of the Petit Manan National
Wildlife Refuge’s Gouldsboro Bay
Division in Maine, completing the 621-
acre Division. The property includes two
potential building lots and a road right-of-
way through the refuge. The Division
habitat consists of spruce-fir forests,
shrub and herbaceous upland, and
intertidal wetlands. The coast supports
nesting bald eagles. Black ducks, great
blue herons, and American bitterns utilize
the saltmarsh; semipalmated sandpipers,
dowitchers, greater and lesser yellowlegs,
and dunlins probe the mudflats for
invertebrates.
The Service and the Trust for Public Land
partnered in the acquisition of 23 acres in
the Fort River Division of Silvio O. Conte
National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
This was the first acquisition in the Fort
River Division; it contains significant
river frontage along the longest free-flowing
tributary of the Connecticut River
in Massachusetts. Working with TPL
has enabled the Service to complement
and expand the mosaic of conserved
grassland and riparian habitat in the Fort
River area. The combined efforts of the
partners will benefit plants, fish, wildlife,
and people by conserving critical habitat,
protecting water quality in the vicinity
of a municipal well, and creating outdoor
recreational opportunities within a rapidly
developing area.
The Service acquired 30 acres of the
82-acre Dixon tract at Eastern Shore
of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge.
Close cooperation among the Service, The
Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coastal
Reserve, and the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation facilitated
completion of this acquisition. These
partners also assisted the Service with
protecting the nearby 496-acre TNC/
Bull Tract. The Service acquired the
first 210 acres of that tract with funds
from the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, Migratory Bird Conservation
Fund, and the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act funds.
Mountain-Prairie Region
The Service established the Rocky
Mountain Front Conservation Area
in north-central Montana by purchasing
a 4,177-acre conservation easement
in partnership with The Nature
Conservancy, and the landowner donated
part of the tract’s value.
The Service accepted a transfer of
7,258 acres from the Department of
the Army for the Rocky Mountain
Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
in Colorado. Like the 4,930 acres
previously transferred to the Service,
these 7,258 acres were decontaminated
before transfer. Upon completion of
decontamination of an additional 3,985
acres, the Department of the Army will
transfer those acres also to the Service.
The refuge is one of the largest urban
wildlife refuges in the United States; it
consists of open lakes, wetlands, prairie
grasslands, and woodlands. The refuge
supports over 330 species of mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
Alaska Region
The Service purchased a 79.96-acre
parcel on the banks of Cane Creek, for
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in
Alaska. The parcel provides habitat for
grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves,
and furbearers such as beaver, marten,
wolverines, and river otters. Dall sheep
inhabit the surrounding mountains,
and the mountains are also important
wintering areas for the Porcupine herd of
caribou.
The Service purchased a 159.99-acre
parcel in the Innoko National Wildlife
Refuge in Alaska. Located on the east
bank of Hather Creek and the west bank
of Magitchlie Creek, about three miles
upstream from the Innoko River, the
parcel provides prime winter habitat
for moose and black bears, as well as
breeding habitat for waterfowl. The area
also provides important furbearer habitat
throughout the year. In addition, the
sloughs and backwaters surrounding this
parcel are important northern pike and
whitefish summer habitat.
The Service acquired four tracts totaling
519.92 acres, for addition to the Togiak
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
These tracts include high-quality stream
habitat that supports all five species of
Alaska salmon. In addition, the area
provides habitat for brown bear, moose,
and caribou, as well as nesting and
breeding habitat for numerous species
of migratory waterfowl. This acquisition
includes 199.97 acres located in the Togiak
Wilderness.
The Service acquired six tracts totaling
1,079.73 acres for the Yukon Flats
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
The tracts contain several habitat
types, including high-quality wetlands
that support nesting and breeding for
migratory waterfowl and excellent habitat
for moose—an important subsistence
resource for local residents. These areas
also benefit neo-tropical migratory
songbirds.
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In addition to the changes noted in the
accomplishments section and those
noted below, the figures in our tables
may show some changes from previous
annual reports. For example, decreases
in acreage figures may reflect expired
leases, real property disposals made in
land exchanges, or property transfers.
You may notice an increase or decrease
after we complete new property surveys
or when we enter additional information
into the database after the Regions
transmit the data for publication. Other
changes result from corrections made
when we found errors in the historical
data previously entered into the database
systems or when we had not previously
entered information into the database.
Table 2A: Negative acreage will appear
in Table 2A when we dispose of or
transfer more acres than we acquire
during the fiscal year.
Table 3: We established two additional
refuges: Neches River NWR in Texas
and Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Area in Montana (see Accomplishments
section of this report.)
Tables 3 and 4: The report summarizes
Farm Service Agency (formerly Farmers
Home Administration), Department of
Agriculture, units in Table 3 by state and
in Table 4 by state and county. These
entries, identified as “AFSA Interest”
consist of lands or interests in lands
acquired from the Farm Service Agency
that are not located within existing
project boundaries. We include FSA units
in state and county acreage totals but do
not count them as separate units.
Table 4: The Waterfowl Production Areas
are units of the National Wildlife Refuge
System established under the Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Act. For purposes of this report, we roll
up the acreage of the WPAs by county in
each state, and we show the total number
of NWRS Waterfowl Production Area
units as the total number of approved
counties with WPA acres.
Table 7: We count the Ouray hatchery in
Utah as a National Fish Hatchery; but it
is located on the Ouray National Wildlife
Refuge, and we include the acreage in
Table 3 rather than Table 7. The Service
manages the Hagerman National Fish
Hatchery in Idaho, but the State manages
remainder of the land and appears in
Table 5 as the Hagerman Coordination
Area.
Notes
FISH & WU.SI.LDLIFE SERVICE
DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Division of Realty
http://realty.fws.gov/
May 2007

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Annual Report of Lands
Under Control of the U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service
as of September 30, 2006
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
On the cover:
Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Area
(A unit of the National Wildlife Refuge
System)
The Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Area in north-central Montana resulted
from an inclusive planning process
involving many partners who contributed
substantial amounts of time and effort to
create an approach that will both conserve
wildlife habitat and help preserve rural
economies along the Front.
Large working ranches play a major
role in supporting and protecting the
biological values of the Front; long-established
ranching families have passed
land down through many generations,
thereby limiting subdivision and
promoting conservation of vital fish and
wildlife habitat. The Front will provide
a significant, intact block of such habitat
between existing protected areas,
including State Wildlife Management
Areas, The Nature Conservancy’s Pine
Butte Swamp Preserve, and the Boone
& Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt
Memorial Ranch.
The Service is utilizing a conservation
easement program to conserve wildlife
habitat on private land within the 561,700-
acre boundary of the Front. Conservation
easements are a proven, effective, and
non-regulatory means to conserve high
quality wildlife habitat and to maintain
historic ranching heritage. The Service
plans to purchase perpetual conservation
easements from willing sellers on 170,000
acres of private land between Birch Creek
and the South Fork of the Dearborn
River. Funding for the easement program
will come from the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, which is subject to
the annual Congressional appropriations
process.
Private lands along the Front include
important riparian corridors, wetland
complexes, and upland habitat for grizzly
bears, trumpeter swans, raptors, and
other migratory birds. In fact, the Front
is home to nearly every wildlife species
described by Lewis and Clark in 1806,
except free-ranging bison. Many of
these species occur in relatively stable or
increasing numbers.
Cover Photo Courtesy of:
Carl Heilman II
(http://www.carlheilman.com) has been
photographing the American Landscape
for over 30 years; working to meld his
passion for wildness into his landscape
and panoramic photography.
View of the refuge landscape
Annual Report of Lands Under Control
Of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
As of September 30, 2006
Message from the Director ......................................................................................................1
Key to Real Property Numbers .....................................................................................................2
Map of National Fish and Wildlife Management Areas ..............................................................4
Map of Waterfowl Productions Areas..........................................................................................6
Significant Land Acquisition Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2006 ...................................7
Tables
1 Summary by Categories ......................................................................................................9
2 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions .................................10
2A FY 2006 Summary by States, Associated Governments and Possessions .................12
3 National Wildlife Refuges .................................................................................................13
4 Waterfowl Production Areas .............................................................................................29
5 Coordination Areas ............................................................................................................36
6 Administrative Sites ...........................................................................................................38
7 National Fish Hatcheries ..................................................................................................40
8 Wilderness Areas in National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries........44
9 Migratory Waterfowl Refuges on Federal Water Resource Projects ..........................47
Notes ..........................................................................................................................................49
Compiled by: Division of Realty
We’ve come a long way since 1903, when
the National Wildlife Refuge System began
when one man, Paul Kroegel––equipped
with a badge, a gun, a boat, and lots of
determination––watched over Florida’s
Pelican Island. The once-idealistic notion
that we should set aside and protect land
for intrinsically valuable wildlife is now a
reality. Today, our 547 refuges encompass
more than 96 million acres that support
a rich variety of wildlife, including more
than 280 endangered or threatened
species. National wildlife refuges––as
well as waterfowl production areas and
coordination areas––are consistent
and visible reflections of the federal
government’s pledge to its citizens that
there will always be lands and waters
where plants and animals can thrive.
With more than 71 percent of the land
in the United States held in private
ownership, the well-being and continued
diversity of America’s wildlife depends on
the active involvement of conservation-minded
private citizens. Conservation
is not a spectator sport. It takes the
combined commitment of federal and state
agencies, conservation organizations, local
communities, and many other stakeholders
to ensure that our natural resources will
be preserved and protected today and for
generations to come.
Our partners continued to step forward
in Fiscal Year 2006. Consider the largest
single land purchase by the Service in
the fiscal year––2,833 acres acquired for
$3.4 million for the San Bernard National
Wildlife Refuge in a rapidly developing
area south of Houston. This crucial addition
was made possible with the cooperation of
the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Some 6,270 acres of seasonally flooded
bottomland in one of the most important
and vulnerable wetland areas of the
Mississippi River Delta were made a
part of the Catahoula National Wildlife
Refuge in Louisiana, through a partnership
composed of Wal-Mart’s “Acres for
America” program, The Conservation
Fund, American Electric Power, the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
and the Service. These lands will play an
important role in the Service’s carbon
sequestration efforts.
In Minnesota, the Service acquired 1,241
acres of conservation easements and 16
acres in fee ownership at the Northern
Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.
Funding from the Legislative Committee
for Minnesota Resources has helped clear
the way for the acquisition of several more
key fee and easement tracts. Partners such
as the Brandenburg Prairie Foundation
and The Nature Conservancy have also
supported our acquisition and protection
efforts in the state.
In Montana, the Service established the
Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Area by purchasing the first conservation
easement, covering 4,177 acres worth
$1,535,000. The Service contributed $1
million, The Nature Conservancy donated
$100,000, and the landowner contributed
the remaining $435,000 in value. TNC’s
Montana Chapter was awarded the
Service’s annual National Land Protection
Award for significant contributions to land-protection
partnerships with the Service.
National wildlife refuges are places where
high-quality, safe, and enjoyable wildlife-dependent
recreation connects visitors
to their natural resource heritage. More
than 39 million visitors each year find the
mountains, valleys, deserts, meadows and
wetlands of national wildlife refuges to be
some of the most scenic places in America.
As our Nation becomes more urbanized
and Americans become more disassociated
from our outdoor heritage, national wildlife
refuges are vital links with nature for most
American families. There is a national
wildlife refuge within 50 miles of most
major cities, giving families a close-to-home
place to see firsthand how important
natural resource conservation is in our
daily lives.
National wildlife refuges are places of
solitude and serenity amid the noise and
bustle of urban and suburban life. They
are places where a youngster can learn to
cast a fishing line or recognize a bird they
have just come to know. They are places
where families can reinforce their own
relationships, one generation passing to the
next recollections of days spent listening to
a bullfrog or watching butterflies pollinate
flower after flower.
National wildlife refuges do more than
welcome those who want to hunt, fish,
or just watch wildlife. They also teach
Americans to become conservation
constituents by fostering understanding
of the central role of wildlife and wildlife
habitat in our daily lives and our nation’s
traditions.
For all the dedication of our hard-working
staff professionals, we could neither
operate nor maintain our magnificent
habitats without the assistance of
volunteers. During Fiscal Year 2006, close
to 34,000 volunteers donated more than
1.3 million hours to the Service on behalf
of wildlife conservation. Those hours
represent the equivalent of more than
$23 million. Our volunteers are not shy
about getting their hands dirty; the largest
number of volunteer hours––more than
437,000––were invested in wildlife and
habitat work. In addition, more than 200
nonprofit Refuge Friends organizations
bring a special dimension of citizen
service to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Their support is critical to fulfilling our
conservation mission.
In this era of intense development, it is
ever more important that we continue
to protect critical habitat to ensure the
health of the nation’s fish, wildlife, and
plant resources. In support of this mission,
Service Realty Offices completed 473
transactions in Fiscal Year 2006.
In community after community, national
wildlife refuges give people a firsthand
chance to appreciate fish and wildlife
ecology and understand their role in the
environment. The challenge today is to
engage all segments of the American public
in a dialogue about the contributions of
wildlife to a healthy human environment.
All of us can take great pride in our part in
those efforts.
Director
Message from the Director
Oxford Slough WPA
Northwest
Montana
Benton Lake
Bowdoin
Charles M. Russell
Northeast
Montana
Crosby
Lostwood
J. Clark
Salyer
Devils Lake
Valley
City
Detroit
Lakes
Tamarac
Litchfield
Long
Lake
Audubon
Arrowwood
Chase Lake Prairie Project
Audubon
Kulm
Sand Lake
Lacreek Huron
Lake Andes
Madison
Waubay
Tewaukon Fergus
Falls
Morris
Big Stone
Windom
Iowa
Iowa
Minnesota
Valley
Litchfield
St.
Croix
Leopold
Rainwater Basin
Michigan
Carlton
Pond WPA
Wetland Management Districts are
comprised of counties in which the
Service has acquired or is leasing
any wetland or pothole area and is
managing them as a Waterfowl
Production Area (WPA).
Montana
Idaho
Iowa
Colorado
Wyoming
Kansas
Minnesota
Illinois Ohio
Nebraska
Missouri
South Dakota
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Indiana
Michigan
Michigan
Maine
115°0'0"W
115°0'0"W
110°0'0"W
110°0'0"W
105°0'0"W
105°0'0"W
100°0'0"W
100°0'0"W
95°0'0"W
95°0'0"W
90°0'0"W
90°0'0"W
85°0'0"W
85°0'0"W
80°0'0"W
80°0'0"W
35°0'0"N 35°0'0"N
40°0'0"N 40°0'0"N
45°0'0"N 45°0'0"N
50°0'0"N 50°0'0"N
55°0'0"N 55°0'0"N
Wetland Management Districts of the National Wildlife Refuge System
PRODUCED IN THE DIVISION OF REALTY
WASHINGTON, D.C.
LAND STATUS CURRENT TO: 9/30/2006
BASEMAP: ESRI
DATUM: WGS 1984
MAP NAME: WMDs2006 0 220 440 880
Kilometers
Waterfowl Production Area Counties
0 190 380 760
Miles
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
WGS 1984
70°0'0"W
70°0'0"W
45°0'0"N 45°0'0"N
Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
acquired fee title or other interest in
more than 116,000 acres of land in Fiscal
Year 2006. The Service also added two
new units to the National Wildlife Refuge
System, Neches River National Wildlife
Refuge in Texas and Rocky Mountain
Front Conservation Area in Montana,
increasing the total number of national
wildlife refuges from 545 to 547.
Pacific Region
On June 15, 2006, President George W.
Bush issued Presidential Proclamation
8031 establishing the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands Marine National
Monument, a 1,200-mile stretch of
spectacular coral islands, seamounts,
banks, and shoals. The 140,000-acre
Monument encompasses both the
Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife
Refuge and the Midway Atoll National
Wildlife Refuge, both of which provide
permanent protection and conservation
of habitat for the endangered Hawaiian
monk seal, the threatened Hawaiian
green sea turtle, and other rare marine
species. The area is also home to millions
of nesting seabirds. The Fish and Wildlife
Service co-manages the Monument with
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and has sole responsibility
for management of the refuges.
Southwest Region
A 3,082.04 acre tract at the San Bernard
National Wildlife Refuge in Texas
was the largest addition to the National
Wildlife Refuge System in FY 2006. The
Service purchased 2,832.66 acres, and
acquired 249.74 acres by donation, an
accomplishment that resulted from the
close cooperation and partnership with the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The refuge is a productive and valuable
wetland complex that provides wintering,
migration, and resident habitat for
waterfowl, wading birds, neo-tropical
migratory birds, and other wetland-dependent
species, in a rapidly developing
area south of Houston.
Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region
At the Northern Tallgrass Prairie
National Wildlife Refuge, the Service
acquired 1,241.07 acres of habitat
easements and 16.13 acres of fee
ownership, bringing the total number of
acres owned to 4,071.59. The Legislative
Committee for Minnesota Resources
helped to facilitate the acquisition of
several key fee and easement tracts.
Partners such as the Brandenburg
Prairie Foundation and The Nature
Conservancy also assisted the Service
in its acquisition and protection efforts.
The Service acquires land in 85 counties
in western Minnesota and northwestern
Iowa for the refuge, and plans to acquire
approximately 77,000 additional fee and
easement acres from willing sellers.
In addition, the Service is working
with private landowners to develop
stewardship agreements and is also
providing incentives and management
assistance for preservation of the prairie
landscape to all interested owners. The
prairie preservation and restoration
project not only protects the prairie
ecosystem but also benefits grassland
birds as well.
The American Land Conservancy (ALC)
contributed 658.97 acres of key habitat for
a wide range of migratory bird species,
as part of the Rockwood Island Donation,
to the Middle Mississippi River National
Wildlife Refuge. ALC also constructed
and donated a headquarters building for
the refuge. The lands at this refuge are
unique, having been acquired in response
to the great flood of 1993 and lying within
the uncontrolled portion of the Middle
Mississippi River below the confluence
with the Missouri River. River levels in
this “open river” section of the Mississippi
are not regulated by the lock and dam
system, and water levels may fluctuate
greatly; there is frequent flooding on the
refuge.
The Sauk County Waterfowl
Production Area was established with a
single purchase of 210.88 acres. Located
in south-central Wisconsin, the Waterfowl
Production Area is part of a larger
cooperative conservation project called
Fairfield Marsh Conservation Project.
The Service partnered with a community-based
group of local, State, and Federal
agencies, special interest groups, and
landowners that call themselves FACT
(Farming and Conservation Together),
to provide conservation and restoration
alternatives to landowners within the
project area.
Southeast Region
We added 6,723 acres of seasonally-flooded
bottomland in one of the most
important and vulnerable wetland areas
of the Mississippi River Delta were to the
Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge
in east central Louisiana through the
efforts of a partnership comprised of Wal-
Mart’s “Acres for America” program, The
Conservation Fund, American Electric
Power, the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation, and the Service. The adjacent
Catahoula Lake is one of only 22 wetland
sites in the United States recognized by
the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of
International Importance. This acquisition
will help secure the future of the refuge
and support the on-going objective of
providing habitat for native and migratory
waterfowl and other wildlife, including the
more than 175 wetland-dependent bird
species.
In southeastern Georgia, the Service
accepted The Conservation Fund’s
donation of approximately 6,782 acres that
we added to the Okefenokee National
Wildlife Refuge. The property had been
part of a 16,000-acre tract purchased in
1994 by the DuPont Corporation and was
initially proposed to be strip-mined for
titanium oxide deposits. Following years
of negotiations with local officials and
interest groups, a “no-mining” option
was selected; DuPont agreed to retire
without compensation the mineral rights
associated with the tract. DuPont, through
its Land Legacy Program, then donated
the property to The Conservation Fund
(TCF), and TCF, in turn, donated 6,782
acres to the Service for the refuge. The
upland pine habitat on the property will
support threatened and endangered
species such as the red-cockaded
woodpecker and the eastern indigo snake.
Significant Land Acquisition
Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2006
Working with the Trust for Public Land,
the Service acquired another 1,875 acres
in a multi-year land acquisition/carbon
sequestration project at Tensas River
National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.
Prior to this acquisition, the refuge
consisted of two noncontiguous forested
units totaling approximately 65,000
acres separated by agricultural land.
Completion of this project and restoration
of the native bottomland hardwood
forest will reconnect the refuge units,
thereby increasing the size and contiguity
of forested refuge lands that provide
habitat for a variety of species including
the threatened Louisiana black bear. In
addition to TPL, partners on this project
have included Entergy Services, Inc., The
Detroit Edison Company, and The Nature
Conservancy.
This year the Service acquired 615
acres from the Louisiana Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF),
for the Black Bayou Lake National
Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. Prior to
this acquisition, the Service managed the
property as part of the Refuge under a
lease with LDWF. Established in 1997
through a unique partnership with the
city of Monroe, the Refuge consists
of pristine wetlands associated with a
2,000-acre shallow, cypress-studded lake,
riparian areas, and reforested cropland.
The lake and adjacent wetlands are
vital wintering habitat for migratory
waterfowl, primarily mallard, pintail,
redhead, canvasback, and scaup. The
extensive stands of buttonbush, cypress,
and tupelo trees provide ideal breeding
and brood-rearing habitat for resident
wood duck. Acquisition of the LDWF
property almost completes the Service’s
acquisition at this refuge, with only three
private ownerships remaining within the
refuge boundary.
Northeast Region
The Service acquired the last remaining
privately owned inholding within the
boundary of the Petit Manan National
Wildlife Refuge’s Gouldsboro Bay
Division in Maine, completing the 621-
acre Division. The property includes two
potential building lots and a road right-of-
way through the refuge. The Division
habitat consists of spruce-fir forests,
shrub and herbaceous upland, and
intertidal wetlands. The coast supports
nesting bald eagles. Black ducks, great
blue herons, and American bitterns utilize
the saltmarsh; semipalmated sandpipers,
dowitchers, greater and lesser yellowlegs,
and dunlins probe the mudflats for
invertebrates.
The Service and the Trust for Public Land
partnered in the acquisition of 23 acres in
the Fort River Division of Silvio O. Conte
National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
This was the first acquisition in the Fort
River Division; it contains significant
river frontage along the longest free-flowing
tributary of the Connecticut River
in Massachusetts. Working with TPL
has enabled the Service to complement
and expand the mosaic of conserved
grassland and riparian habitat in the Fort
River area. The combined efforts of the
partners will benefit plants, fish, wildlife,
and people by conserving critical habitat,
protecting water quality in the vicinity
of a municipal well, and creating outdoor
recreational opportunities within a rapidly
developing area.
The Service acquired 30 acres of the
82-acre Dixon tract at Eastern Shore
of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge.
Close cooperation among the Service, The
Nature Conservancy’s Virginia Coastal
Reserve, and the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation facilitated
completion of this acquisition. These
partners also assisted the Service with
protecting the nearby 496-acre TNC/
Bull Tract. The Service acquired the
first 210 acres of that tract with funds
from the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, Migratory Bird Conservation
Fund, and the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act funds.
Mountain-Prairie Region
The Service established the Rocky
Mountain Front Conservation Area
in north-central Montana by purchasing
a 4,177-acre conservation easement
in partnership with The Nature
Conservancy, and the landowner donated
part of the tract’s value.
The Service accepted a transfer of
7,258 acres from the Department of
the Army for the Rocky Mountain
Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
in Colorado. Like the 4,930 acres
previously transferred to the Service,
these 7,258 acres were decontaminated
before transfer. Upon completion of
decontamination of an additional 3,985
acres, the Department of the Army will
transfer those acres also to the Service.
The refuge is one of the largest urban
wildlife refuges in the United States; it
consists of open lakes, wetlands, prairie
grasslands, and woodlands. The refuge
supports over 330 species of mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
Alaska Region
The Service purchased a 79.96-acre
parcel on the banks of Cane Creek, for
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in
Alaska. The parcel provides habitat for
grizzly bears, moose, caribou, wolves,
and furbearers such as beaver, marten,
wolverines, and river otters. Dall sheep
inhabit the surrounding mountains,
and the mountains are also important
wintering areas for the Porcupine herd of
caribou.
The Service purchased a 159.99-acre
parcel in the Innoko National Wildlife
Refuge in Alaska. Located on the east
bank of Hather Creek and the west bank
of Magitchlie Creek, about three miles
upstream from the Innoko River, the
parcel provides prime winter habitat
for moose and black bears, as well as
breeding habitat for waterfowl. The area
also provides important furbearer habitat
throughout the year. In addition, the
sloughs and backwaters surrounding this
parcel are important northern pike and
whitefish summer habitat.
The Service acquired four tracts totaling
519.92 acres, for addition to the Togiak
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
These tracts include high-quality stream
habitat that supports all five species of
Alaska salmon. In addition, the area
provides habitat for brown bear, moose,
and caribou, as well as nesting and
breeding habitat for numerous species
of migratory waterfowl. This acquisition
includes 199.97 acres located in the Togiak
Wilderness.
The Service acquired six tracts totaling
1,079.73 acres for the Yukon Flats
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
The tracts contain several habitat
types, including high-quality wetlands
that support nesting and breeding for
migratory waterfowl and excellent habitat
for moose—an important subsistence
resource for local residents. These areas
also benefit neo-tropical migratory
songbirds.
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In addition to the changes noted in the
accomplishments section and those
noted below, the figures in our tables
may show some changes from previous
annual reports. For example, decreases
in acreage figures may reflect expired
leases, real property disposals made in
land exchanges, or property transfers.
You may notice an increase or decrease
after we complete new property surveys
or when we enter additional information
into the database after the Regions
transmit the data for publication. Other
changes result from corrections made
when we found errors in the historical
data previously entered into the database
systems or when we had not previously
entered information into the database.
Table 2A: Negative acreage will appear
in Table 2A when we dispose of or
transfer more acres than we acquire
during the fiscal year.
Table 3: We established two additional
refuges: Neches River NWR in Texas
and Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Area in Montana (see Accomplishments
section of this report.)
Tables 3 and 4: The report summarizes
Farm Service Agency (formerly Farmers
Home Administration), Department of
Agriculture, units in Table 3 by state and
in Table 4 by state and county. These
entries, identified as “AFSA Interest”
consist of lands or interests in lands
acquired from the Farm Service Agency
that are not located within existing
project boundaries. We include FSA units
in state and county acreage totals but do
not count them as separate units.
Table 4: The Waterfowl Production Areas
are units of the National Wildlife Refuge
System established under the Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Act. For purposes of this report, we roll
up the acreage of the WPAs by county in
each state, and we show the total number
of NWRS Waterfowl Production Area
units as the total number of approved
counties with WPA acres.
Table 7: We count the Ouray hatchery in
Utah as a National Fish Hatchery; but it
is located on the Ouray National Wildlife
Refuge, and we include the acreage in
Table 3 rather than Table 7. The Service
manages the Hagerman National Fish
Hatchery in Idaho, but the State manages
remainder of the land and appears in
Table 5 as the Hagerman Coordination
Area.
Notes
FISH & WU.SI.LDLIFE SERVICE
DEPARTMENT OFTHE INTERIOR
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Division of Realty
http://realty.fws.gov/
May 2007